16. Lieut.-Colonel Sir FREDERICK HALLasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many aliens or men of alien parentage there are in offices affected by the Sheriff Courts and Legal Officers (Scotland) Act, 1927: whether these aliens have become naturalised British subjects; and on what grounds it is proposed to place them on the establishment of His Majesty's Civil Service?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe admission of persons to established situations in His Majesty's Civil Establishments is governed by Regulations made by the Civil Service Commissioners, with the approval of the Treasury, under the authority of the Order-in-Council of 22nd July, 1920. These Regulations provide, inter alia, that every candidate shall satisfy the Commissioners that he or she is a natural-born British subject and the son or daughter of a father also a natural-horn British. subject; hut exceptions to this provision may be made in specified cases, among them those of persons serving in unestablished uncertificated employment which in normal course, departmental custom or by the grant of establishment to an unestablished class, confers a claim to nomination to the establishment and who satisfy the rule in respect of nationality for established appointment which was in force when their unestablished service began. The Regulations referred to will be duly applied to persons who have a claim to nomination to establishment under the Schemes of Reorganisation of the Sheriff Clerk and Procurator Fiscal Services, to which effect has been given by the Act referred to in the question. The nominations under these schemes have not yet been dealt with by the Civil Service Commissioners and the information asked for in the first and second part of the question is not at present available; but I would add that aliens are not eligible in any circumstances for appointment to established posts in the Civil Service.
Sir F. HALLIf the right hon. Gentleman is not in a position to give the number of aliens in the Sheriff Courts, may I ask him whether, in any appointments that are made, preference will be given to ex-Service men, owing to the large number that have been dismissed recently and are under notice?
§ Sir J. GILMOURAll the Depart merits give preference, as far as possible to ex-Service men, and that policy will be continued.
Sir F. HALLDoes the right hon. Gentleman recognise that the great majority of Members of this House prefer to see British subjects in these appointments, rather than aliens?
§ Mr. W. THORNEWill the right hon. Gentleman guarantee that the hon. and gallant Member is a real, genuine British subject?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODAre any aliens in the employ of the Scottish Office?